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In 1936, new minesweepers were ordered for the Royal Canadian Navy.[2] Based on the British Basset class,[3][4] those built on the east coast would cost $318,000 per vessel.[5] At the outbreak of the Second World War, the Royal Canadian Navy considered constructing more, but chose to build Bangor-class minesweepers instead upon learning of that design due to their oil-burning engines.[3][6][7]

The Fundy class, named after the lead ship, displaced 460 long tons (470 t; 520 short tons). They were 163 ft (49.7 m) long, with a beam of 27.5 ft (8.4 m) and a draught of 14.5 ft (4.4 m). They had a complement of 3 officers and 35 ratings.[8]

The Fundy class was propelled by one shaft driven by vertical triple expansion engine powered by steam from a one-cylinder boiler.[4] This created between 850–950 indicated horsepower (630–710 kW) and gave the minesweepers a top speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph).[4][8] The ships were capable of carrying between 180–196 long tons (183–199 t) of coal.[4]

After commissioning, Gaspé was one of two of the Fundy-class minesweepers assigned to the east coast of Canada. She was stationed at Halifax, Nova Scotia when the war broke out. At the onset of war, Gaspé and sister shipFundy were the only warships available to patrol the entrance to Halifax's harbour.[11] She served with the Halifax Local Defence Force as a local minesweeper.[10] On 14 January 1945, she picked up 56 survivors of the British tanker British Freedom that was torpedoed and sunk east of Halifax by U-1232.[9] The ship was paid off on 23 July 1945 at Halifax.[10]

Gaspé was sold into mercantile service in 1946.[12] The ship re-emerged as the tugboatSung Li, working out of Shanghai.[10] The ship's registry was deleted in 1993.[13]

Johnston, William; Rawling, William G.P.; Gimblett, Richard H.; MacFarlane, John (2010). The Seabound Coast: The Official History of the Royal Canadian Navy, 1867-1939. 1. Toronto: Dundurn Press. ISBN978-1-55488-908-2.